Hello cycle men. I'm in need of some advice and I'd

>>1096263
That's very cheap. I'd be concerned that a guy that's presumably quite into mountain biking and knows how much it's worth is selling it for so little, I would say it's either fucked or stolen.

Looking at the first photo that's a pretty nasty scrape on the top tube, not a good sign with a carbon frame as it's probably been treated rough so you really need to know what you're doing when you check the bike over. If you have any other closer friends that know about mountain bikes that can have a look at it or the guy will let you take it to a bike shop to get looked at then do that, otherwise you'll probably want to steer clear unless £300 is fuck all to you and you don't mind spending potentially the same if not more.

>>1096271
He originally wanted £600 saying it needed "about £200 worth of parts" but he does make pretty terrible purchasing decisions and is genuinely in debt at the minute so it could just be that.

Do you think I should try to get him to let me take it to a bike shop, have it looked over and have any problems diagnosed and purchase it only if he's okay with that?

I'm pretty sure it's not stolen, but I'd be asking for the receipt anyway.
I'm 18 with a part time job while I study so it's a considerable amount for me right now, but I'd pay for it if it was usable or I could flip it for extra cash.

>>1096275
>about £200 worth of parts
What fucking parts? That's a great big clue as the what might be wrong with it.

>>1096277
It needs a front and rear cassette and a chain

>>1096278
Ok, so a cassette is $15, a chain is $10 and a chain ring $20. What are the other $155 for?
At the very least a worn out chain ring on a mountainbike tells us that it's either seen _a_lot_ of miles or not been very well looked after, or both. Which could imply that the fork and shock service interval hasn't been kept either, or linkage/damper bushings and seals are worn out anyway.

Used mountainbikes (and FS especially) are big cans of worms that shouldn't be opened by someone with no service experience.

>>1096275
£800 is still pretty cheap, especially if it has any more upgrades other than the wheels which are quite a bit more expensive than stock.

>>1096278
There's only a cassette in the rear, up front could mean either just the chainrings or the whole crankset (the latter if it's gonna cost £200). He could even mean the derailers are fucked.

>I'm pretty sure it's not stolen, but I'd be asking for the receipt anyway.
That's not gonna happen. Why are you so sure it's not stolen? You've only recently gotten to know the guy and even if he doesn't seem like the person to steal a bike he may have gotten it from someone else who would (maybe not even knowingly). If you did want to just flip it for profit then you no doubt could, the wheels alone are probably worth £300, but there's no way for us to tell if it'll be a ridable bike or if it'll cost you the same again or more to get it sorted.

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>>1096281
>>1096286
It has a few extra upgrades yeah

I sent him this message and he's said that it'd be fine for me to take it in to be looked over by a specialist, I'd check the serial number with the manufacturer too.

What do you reckon?
Is it worth taking it into a shop for a full look over and paying under £200 (I can't spend any extra so if there were more problems I'd have to leave it) in the hopes that it's alright or to flip it for more cash?

>>1096286
>That's not gonna happen. Why are you so sure it's not stolen?
He's got a shop receipt apparently

>>1096301
If you can get it all ridable for £500 then it's a steal. Make sure the shop gives it a proper check though and that they're willing to do all the work required, it should probably take about half an hour and they'll get right up close to look at things and give them a tug and a shake, put it in a stand and run through all the gears, preferably give it a quick ride to check shit like brakes and suspension (you'll probably have to pay them 10 to 20 quid to do all this). If they just give it a quick 5 minute stare down that ain't gonna do the job.

dude get it , If all else fails , flip the parts for some sweet cash.

just the wheelset alone is worth some serious cash.

What's with those fucking zip ties?

>>1096463
>just the wheelset alone is worth some serious cash.
Perhaps five years ago. Since wide rims started to become a thing those are completely undesirable. Once being expensive != worth a lot today.

Get it taken to a bike shop for a proper check. Discreetly ask the guy there how much he'd pay for it (or rather, how much you should pay for it), and then offer that price for it. Or rather, offer that price minus the amount it cost you to get it checked over.

Also check the serial numbers online at bike register places to do a quick check if it's stolen or not.

b

First, is the thing your size? That's non negotiable for any riding.

Second, the most likely things that need work are the drivetrain, brakes and suspension, and then frame damage, probably in that order. Rear suspension in particular is expensive to service.


>>1096271
Definitely tap test that spot, and any spot with the zip ties.

>>1096464
They're an abrasion risk. I'm wondering about them myself.

Do you have enough bicycle experience to say check for worn drivetrain parts OP? Because knowing enough to be able to say, flush and bleed hydrauluic brakes, or the suspension, or do a derailer or cassete replacement would make a big difference.

If theres no frame damage, the suspension is good, the shifters are good and it fits, it's still a strong contender for your dollar. The replacable drivetrain parts aren't that expensive or difficult.